Sweet revenge for Staples

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, October 28, 2010

For the second time this season, the Staples High boys soccer team found itself locked in a ferocious battle with Trumbull.

The first one ended in a 3-1 setback that sent the Wreckers in an early-season, two-game tailspin.

This time, after 80 nerve-racking minutes of scoreless play in regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods, Staples got it right.

Sophomore goalie James Hickok made a stunning save late in the second half and senior standout Brendan Lesch scored the game-winning goal early in the second overtime off a feed from senior Greg Gudis to lift No. 2 Staples to a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 7 Trumbull in the first round of the FCIAC playoffs Friday afternoon at a cold and blustery Albie Loeffler Field.

Hickok needed to make just seven saves to post the shutout, but kept the Wreckers alive with his brilliant diving stop on Keith Bond with 2:15 left in the second half.

Lesch, an All-American midfielder who will play at Notre Dame next year, scored the only goal of the game at 2:01 of the second overtime on a diving header off a perfect centering pass from the right side by Gudis.

Staples (14-2-1), which is now 13-0-1 over its last 14 games, including an eight-game winning streak, will face No. 6 Wilton in the FCIAC semifinals at 5 p.m. Monday at Fairfield Ludlowe's Taft Field.

It was a double victory for Staples, which earned its revenge against Trumbull (8-5-4) while keeping its hopes alive for a third straight FCIAC title.

"This is a big one for us, especially since they took it to us at the beginning of the season," Lesch said. "This felt great for a few different reasons."

Although Staples controlled possession for a large portion of the second half, using a string of free kicks along the left sideline to keep pressure on Trumbull sophomore goalie Nick Weinstein (eight saves), neither team had an abundance of scoring chances during regulation in what proved to be another physical, defensive struggle.

Somehow, Bond found himself all alone in the center of the field from 15 yards out with a great chance to send Trumbull home with a stunning victory late in regulation.

Bond took a pass up the seam and quickly unleashed a left-footed shot that appeared ticketed for the upper right corner of the net. But Hickok was already shifting his weight to his left as it left Bond's foot. Almost as if he was playing a penalty kick, Hickok immediately dove out and plucked the ball out of the air with his fingertips to keep the game scoreless.

It was the biggest save of Hickok's young career. But it was all a blur.

"I saw him going across the top and honestly had no idea how I did it. I don't know how I got there," Hickok said. "I can't even remember it. It was all just total impulse. It was all instinct. I don't know how I did it."

When Bond released the shot, Trumbull head coach Sebastian Gangemi thought for sure it was going in. When it didn't, he was just as stunned as everyone else in attendance.

"I did think it was going in," Gangemi said. "But you know what? You have to hit the back of the net. He didn't hit it, and that's all there is to it. But that was one of the best saves I've seen in a long time."

Hickok hasn't had many opportunities to win games this season the way Staples controls possession with its passing game. But there was no doubt about this one. If not for Hickok's quick reactions, the Wreckers would be lamenting a loss right now.

"That was huge. James had a few big plays," Lesch said. "He came up big for us and I think that's going to be a common theme throughout the playoffs."

Hickok stopped another short-range shot by senior Matt Bundschuh in the second minute of the first overtime and a shot by Gudis sailed just over the net a minute later.

Gudis created the scoring chance on the game-winning goal, taking control of the ball at midfield then busting past three defenders up the right hashmark and into the box. Gudis stopped quickly and sent a pass to the front of the net and Lesch knocked it past Weinstein with a diving header.

"Gudis did all the work," Lesch said. "He tore down the right side and that was all we needed. He put it in there and I just threw myself at it."

Lesch actually missed 10 minutes of the second half with an ankle injury. After getting worked on by the Staples athletic trainer, Lesch went back into the game at midfield, but found his mobility was limited. After another quick trip to the bench. Lesch went back in, but this time switched to forward where he could be a factor in front of the net. That move ended up working to perfection.

"The training staff did a great job taking care of me and got me back in there," Lesch said. "I wasn't really running, so I got put up top looking to do something and it worked out. I just wanted to help the team any way I could."